Messy butt, dead hen, but not worms, what now

[Alphagamchick]

I read posts on this back 10 pages worth but wanted to seek any additional advice.

Back in Jan. one of my hens, age 4, turned up with a messy butt. She is one of 39 birds. I have had this flock for 5 years and didn't do anything different over the winter. It was very wet here in MI this winter, though. They have wood shavings as their bedding and eat pellets as food. I mix oyster shells and grit into their pellets plus I have feeder filled with a mix of this in the coop. Since it was winter, they did not free range outside of their chicken yard and I gave them very little in the way of treats- a few scraps of dried bread and maybe some mac/cheese and rice. They get organic vinegar in their water and some vits/electrolytes. I also gave plain yogurt a couple of times as a probiotic hoping to right their systems. As time went on she became more listless and died last week. I felt bad, like I should have done more to help her. I didn't notice any swelling of the crop or vent area. A couple of weeks ago three other hens turned up with a messy bottom and so I'm worried about them, too. Last week I took a fecal sample to my vet and supposedly there were no parasites.
I read a post about providing scrambled egg, yogurt, mash to try to right their systems. Also, check for lice.

What do you think? Does the fecal test at the vet pick up Any and All worms? I hate to routinely worm them but should I worm them and if so, what should I start with?

I think I would prefer to offer some probiotics but I'm afraid if it's more than that, this won't help.

I will check for lice.

I have checked for blood in the droppings over the past several weeks but I have not seen any.

I'm worried this will eventually affect the whole flock.

I'm asking for your expert advice. Thanks so much.

 

[dawg53]

Check for mites as well, they can drag a chicken down quickly, eventual death.
I've taken fecal samples to my vet as well, knowing a couple of my birds had tapeworms. They didnt know what the segments were and suggested I send the sample off to vet school of medicine for analysis...$$. They also stated the sample was worm/occyst free.
I routinely worm my birds on my own. You might want to do the same, you have nothing to lose except eggs for a few weeks...keeping in mind the health or your birds for a long time to come.

 

[Alphagamchick]

I'll head in there tonight with my flashlight. I did have to deal with mites for the first time last year. Had a hard time getting rid of them. Yes, I may have to go ahead and worm them. Since I don't know what kind of worms they may or may not have what do you suggest I use? I have some Safe Guard.

 

[dawg53]

I'll head in there tonight with my flashlight. I did have to deal with mites for the first time last year. Had a hard time getting rid of them. Yes, I may have to go ahead and worm them. Since I don't know what kind of worms they may or may not have what do you suggest I use? I have some Safe Guard.

Could be mites again. Safeguard will work as a wormer. Which one do you have?

 

[Alphagamchick]

I have the Safeguard for goats. Would mites cause runny droppings? When I was dealing with mites last summer none of them had the messy butt.

 

[dawg53]

I have the Safeguard for goats. Would mites cause runny droppings? When I was dealing with mites last summer none of them had the messy butt.

Mites wont cause runny droppings, but they can cause anemia from sucking blood, then death.
Use a syringe without a needle and administer the safeguard liquid goat wormer orally. The dosage is 1cc for giants, 3/4cc for large fowl, 1/2cc for standards, 1/4cc for smaller birds. Pull the wattles down and their mouth will open. Repeat dosing in 10 days. Wait 14 days after the second dosing before you eat the eggs.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

One person on BYC posted that they took the poo in to the vet to check for worms. It was negative and within 24 hours or so they saw a roundworm in the poo!!

I don't know how often this happens.